Fairytales, Mercer Style
by veiledndarkness
Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting. Non-pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Little Jackie in the Borrowed Hooded Sweatshirt

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: None really.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.

1 – Little Red Riding Hood

XX

"What 'bout this one?" Bobby held out a book, colorful cartoon images decorating the cover.

Jack scowled at him from the bed, his thin arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not a baby!" he huffed. "No Dr. Seuss!"

"Alright, alright, Jesus fuckin'..." Bobby muttered, "Which one then?"

"I dunno, but no Dr. Seuss and no stupid kiddy ones either," Jack scrunched his nose, indicating his clear disdain. "Mom said you'd read to me, Bobby. You promised to."

Bobby rolled his eyes and put the offending book back on the shelf. "Relax, Jackie, I ain't backin' out, so just calm down," he pulled a thick book off the bottom shelf. "Ah, you can't say no to this one." He stood up, tucking the book under his arm.

"What is it?"

"Grimm Brothers," Bobby grinned and sat on the bed beside Jack, "Fairytales for little fairy boys."

"Bobby!" Jack elbowed him. "I'm not a fairy, why do you keep sayin' that?"

Bobby grunted. "Cut it out, you're all bones an' shit, those elbows are sharp. Now shut up, or I'm goin' back downstairs to watch the game and you can read this to yourself."

Jack grumbled and settled back down with all the dignity a ten year old could muster. Bobby opened the book, squinting at the tiny print. "Damn...I'm gonna go blind tryin' to read this."

"Who're the Grimm brothers?" Jack looked at the fancy script on the first page.

"Two guys who wrote down fucked up stories," Bobby turned the page to the index.

"Are they scary?" a hint of fear crept into Jack's voice.

"Not scary, but kinda messed up," Bobby nodded. "Here, pick one from the list."

Jack peered at the table of contents, his finger tracing the words. "Little Red Riding Hood," he pointed to it.

Bobby turned to the correct page. "So, this is the story of Little Red Riding Hood or as I like to call it, Jackie in the Borrowed Hooded Sweatshirt."

Jack blushed faintly. "Sorry...It's comfier than my pajamas," he toyed with the sleeves of Bobby's sweatshirt, burrowing deeper into the fabric.

"Don't worry about it," Bobby slid his arm around Jack as he began to read.

_'Once upon a time, there was a skinny little kid named Jack, who was well loved by his adopted family, even if he was prone to hiding in his older brother's bed or was forever leaving cookie crumbs in said sheets. He was so well loved that his brother never minded the theft of his favorite hooded sweatshirt, even though it was perfectly worn in and was six times too big for little Jackie.'_

_'One day, little Jackie's second coolest brother asked him to run down to the corner store and pick up some milk for their mom. She would've done it, but that lady was simply too sick to do that, though God knows she'd never admit to bein' too ill to do something, stubborn fool that she is.'_

_'So, Jack went and swiped his best brother's hooded sweatshirt and slid it on, instead of wearing his coat, which he almost never does cause he's as stubborn as their mom. He hurried down to the corner store and on his way there, passed a big, huge wolf, almost as big as that ugly ass dog that belongs to the old hag at the end of the street.'_

"Bobby!" Jack giggled, interrupting him. "Mrs. Nelson isn't an old hag."

Bobby shivered. "She sure as shit looks like one. Now be quiet."

_'The wolf looked little Jackie up and down. He sure was hungry, and the boy looked like a tasty snack. Little Jackie looked up at him and shied back a step or two. That didn't look like any friendly dog to him.'_

_"Mornin' there, little boy," the wolf loomed over him._

_"H-Hi..." Jackie stuttered, nearly tripping over some loose stones._

_"An' where might you be off to?" The Wolf smiled at him, flashing a mouthful of sharp teeth._

_Jackie wrinkled his nose up. That animal had nasty dog breath. "The...The Store," he tilted his chin up, he wasn't afraid of no oversize dog that smelled like something from the clogged sink._

"Ewww..." Jack scrunched his face. "That's gross, Bobby."

"Stop interupptin' me," Bobby cleared his throat.

_'"The store..." the Wolf mused, "Why would such a little boy be out by himself to the store?"_

_"None of your business," Little Jackie huffed at him. "My Ma needs milk, so move, please, I'm in a hurry."_

_"Of course, of course, you go right ahead, little one," the Wolf stepped to the side, letting him pass. "You best hurry home though, the sun's gonna set real soon. Does your mother live far from here?"_

_Jackie shook his head, he was entirely too trusting sometimes. "Nope, just ten minutes down the block," he pointed back to his house down the street. _

_"Well off with you then," the Wolf turned and left, disappearing into the bushes with a loud crash._

_Jackie scratched his head, blinking as the Wolf stood up, swearing and dusting the loose branches off his hairy paws. He shrugged and skipped the rest of the way to the store, clutching his handful of change.'_

"Bobby! I don't skip!"

"I saw you skippin' rope with that kid at school yesterday. Now shut up."

_'Little Jackie bought the jug of milk and hurried back down the street, clutching the milk to his chest. The Wolf had been right; the sun was startin' to set. He ran the rest of the way and pushed the front door open, breathing hard. _

_Jackie stopped...Something didn't seem right...something seemed wrong. He put the milk in the fridge, remembering how annoyed his Ma had been when he'd left the milk on the counter last time. _

_"Mom...?" Jackie called out. There was no answer._

_Jackie crept up the stairs and peeked in his mother's room. He sighed in relief when he saw her lying under the blankets, a kerchief tied around her hair. Jackie stared at her, a small frown on his face. _

_"Mom...?"_

_"Yes, dear..." came the answer._

_Jackie edged another step into the room, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Something was wrong, he could tell. "Mom," he said again. "Why are you wearin' your kerchief to bed?"_

_"I just set my hair in the rollers."_

_"Mom..." Jackie took another small step towards the bed. "You don't look so good...you look kinda hairy an'...an' you're drooling on your whiskers."_

_"I need to shave."'_

"Bobby!" Jack laughed, holding his stomach. "Ma doesn't have a beard an' whiskers!"

_'Little Jackie frowned deeply. "Mom...Your teeth look funny. When did you get dentures?"_

_And with a sudden growl, the Wolf leapt from the bed, advancing on Jackie. "God damn, kid, do you ever shut up with the questions?!"_

_Jackie froze, unable to move. The Wolf reached for him, his nasty teeth gleaming in the dim room. Jackie cried out, calling for his oldest brother to come save him._

_With a fierce shout, Jackie ducked the Wolf, running across the room and jumping up on the bed, leading the beast on a wild chase. The Wolf went to follow him, crying out as a loud BANG echoed in the room. Jackie crouched down by the bed, shaking with fear._

_"That'll teach him," Jackie looked up, shouting happily when he saw Bobby standing in the doorway, a gun carefully held in his palm. _

_"I think he ate Mom!" Jackie kicked at the twitching body on the carpet. "She's gonna be pissed when she sees all this blood."_

_Bobby heard muffled shouts and shook his head. He pulled open the closet door, revealing a thoroughly annoyed Evelyn. "See?"_

_Evelyn smoothed her hair down and eyed the wolf. "Ugh, there goes another carpet; I swear I spend more time cleaning after you boys than anything else."_

_And that was the end of the Wolf. _

"Bobby...that was silly!" Jack snickered.

"Told ya it wasn't scary," Bobby closed the book. "Now go to sleep."

"I want another story," Jack rested his head on Bobby's chest. "Please...?"

XX


	2. Chapter 2

Title: CinderJack

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: None really.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.

1 – Little Red Riding Hood

2 - Cinderella

XX

"Please...?"

Bobby turned the pages back to the table of contents. "Alright, fine, one more story, but then its bedtime, no ifs ands or butts about it."

Jack nodded eagerly and leaned forward again. "Promise," he said. He pointed to another title. "I want Cinderella this time."

"Figures," Bobby snorted. He ignored Jack's pointy elbow jabbing his side again.

"Why'd you say the stories are messed up?"

Bobby flipped to the front page of the new story. "Because they are, or they were. The Grimm brothers wrote down stories, but these are different. They changed a lotta shit to water it down for little fairy boys. Wouldn't make them much money if they scared the snot outta you, now would they?"

Jack chewed on his thumb nail, nodding. "The first one wasn't too scary."

"You should see what they originally wrote," Bobby muttered. He pointed to the title. "So this one is Cinderella or as I call it, CinderJack."

"Bobby..."

_'Once upon a time, probably a long time ago, there was a young boy by the name of Jack. He was brought to a home after the death of his parents. He was handed over abruptly to a woman who would be his foster mother. She acted proper and nice to her own spoiled brats, two nasty little girls. But Jack could tell she was only faking it when she was nice to him in front of the worker. He kept his tongue and shied away from the girls._

_Sure enough, not long after the case worker dropped him off, the foster mom showed her true colors. She treated the boy poorly, slapping him upside the head every so often and forcing him to do all the cleaning and laundry while she sat on her fat ass. She'd munch on bonbons and watch her 'stories' as she called them._

_The boy endured it all, all the scrubbing and cleaning, for he was an uncommonly kind boy, far too forgiving and gentle. He said nothing when the foster siblings were cruel, when God knows they really needed a kick in the ass.'_

"Bobby! It does not say ass!"

"What'd I tell you about interrupting?" Bobby grinned, "My story, my words."

_'The boy finished his chores each day and sat by the fireplace while they ate their fancy meals. He drew little pictures and designs in the ashes, never minding the way the cinder and soot stuck to his clothes and skin. His foster sisters laughed and pointed at the boy, mockingly naming him CinderJack, not that he paid them much attention. He was too busy drawing and singing under his breath._

_One morning, CinderJack sat in the garden behind the house, knee deep in the soil as he weeded the plants for that fall's harvest. He hummed as he did so, wiping his hands off on his dirty shirt. His humming faded away when he saw the foster mother taking her two brats out for a bike ride._

_He thought longingly of how nice it must have been, to be able to play and run about, to have such fun while he was stuck with a list of chores. CinderJack sniffed, one tear slipping down his cheek. It splashed onto the ground, startling a small gnome from his slumber. _

_"I say," the gnome declared. "Do I look like a plant to you? I don't need to be watered!"_

_CinderJack was startled to put it mildly. He looked around, sure that he was hearing things. "W-What...Who's there?" he called._

_"Down here!" the gnome huffed and kicked at CinderJack's shovel. _

_CinderJack looked down, his blue eyes wide with shock. "What're you s'posed to be?"_

_"The hell do I look like?" the tiny gnome stood up and tucked his grubby fists on his hips. "I'm a garden gnome and you are the giant who's spilling water all over me."_

_"I'm not a giant!" CinderJack rubbed his eyes and sniffled, wiping his tears away. "I'm just a little kid."_

_"Little my ass," the gnome shook his head. "No matter, now why are you dropping water on me? I know I swiped some cherry tomatoes last week but c'mon, it was only two or three."_

_"I-I'm sorry," CinderJack whispered. "I didn't mean to...I wasn't trying to water you."_

_The gnome peered up at him. "Your face is wet. Why are you crying, little giant?"_

_CinderJack sniffed. "I wasn't." _

_The gnome jumped up and scurried along the shovel. He hopped onto CinderJack's shoulder, sitting comfortably. "Bull, little giants don't cry in gardens. Do they?" he mused, rubbing his dirty white beard, "Bah, anyway. What's eatin' you?"_

_"I'm sad...I wish I could go play, an' ride a bike and just be a kid sometimes," CinderJack sighed. _

_The gnome nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Well then, I know just the person for you," he clapped his hands, excited. "I tell you what, let's make a deal."_

_"A deal...?" CinderJack tilted his head._

_The gnome grinned. "Uh huh, I know someone who takes in little giants and I know she would just love you. So I get you to her and you bring me along, deal?"_

_"Why would you want to come along?"_

_"For cookies of course," the gnome cackled. "We can share the cookies."_

_CinderJack smiled a bit and scooped the gnome up from his shoulder, holding him in his hands. "But how? I can't leave; my foster mom won't let me go."_

_"Hey, who's the talking garden gnome here? I'm magically inclined, just so you know," the gnome puffed his chest up and hopped down from CinderJack's hands. "Now let's see...we need a way out of here. Ahh, I know. Go get the wheelbarrow and bring it over."'_

"There's no such thing as gnomes!" Jack laughed, keeping his head on Bobby's chest.

"Says who?" Bobby turned the page. "I say so, an' that's all that matters."

_'CinderJack scampered over and brought the wheelbarrow to where he'd been sitting. The gnome eyed it and nodded. He cleared his throat dramatically. _

_"Ahem!" he waved his hands in the air, cracking his knuckles. He spoke gibberish, gesturing feverishly. _

_CinderJack watched in amazement, his skinny arms wrapped around his knees as the wheelbarrow changed from a dingy old wooden thing into a brand new bicycle, a blue one with a ringer on the handle. _

_"Wow!" he gasped. "That's so cool! What else can you do?"_

_"Whoa now, I don't perform on demand," the gnome hopped up Jack's arm again. "C'mon you, we need to bust outta this joint."_

_CinderJack stood up, brushing loose soil from his body. He climbed on the bicycle shakily, unaccustomed to riding one. "Um...little help, please?"_

_The gnome looked down. "Oh crap...right!" he twirled his fingers and produced a set of training wheels for him to practice on._

_CinderJack smiled and began peddling around the yard, giggling happily. He rode down the driveway and along the sidewalk. The gnome held on to CinderJack's shirt._

_"Man, the air feels good up here!" he laughed, his tiny cap whistling in the wind._

_CinderJack rode and rode until he was worn out. He looked around the neighborhood uneasily, not having a clue where he was. He bit his lip, ignoring the ache in his limbs and belly. _

_"Ahh, there's the house!" the gnome pointed to the house on the corner of the street. "The queen lives there."_

_"A queen...?" CinderJack chewed on his lip more. _

_"Uh huh, c'mon, we came all this way, let's go in," the gnome urged him. _

_CinderJack approached the house cautiously. He peered in the window, watching a woman with shining white hair walk past the window. CinderJack ducked down when she came closer, even as the gnome jumped up onto the windowsill. _

_"Hey! Out here!" he bellowed, jumping up and down. "Gah!" he yelped as CinderJack tugged him down again._

_"Shh, she'll hear you," CinderJack whispered._

_"That's the point!" the gnome squirmed loose and ran across the lawn to the front door. He kicked at the door, hammering with his fists. _

_CinderJack froze, torn between wanting to run and needing to need. "Come back here!" he called. He looked up in horror, seeing the woman in the window, looking back at him. He stared at her, overwhelmingly aware of how dirty and terribly skinny he was. He felt tears burn his eyes and he ran away from the window, skidding and slipping on the pavement. He pushed himself up and reached for his bike, hopping on it and peddling away like mad._

_The queen opened the door, puzzled by the strange boy in the bushes. She frowned when she saw him fall and then the smart queen Evelyn said to herself, "That little boy does not belong where he is living."_

_This much she was sure of.'_

"Bobby, this story is sad," Jack protested, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"It gets better," Bobby murmured.

_'The good queen Evelyn found the gnome on her doorstep, ranting and raving about the small boy. She picked him up with two fingers, eyeing the odd little creature. She listened intently as he told her of CinderJack, of the things he had noticed while living in the garden, for no magical creature is unaware of bad things that happen in the world of men._

_She stopped long enough to slip her hooded cape on and pocketed the gnome, walking briskly in the direction that CinderJack had taken off in. Many hours later, she found herself before the house._

_"You're certain this is it?" she asked the sleepy gnome. _

_He yawned and scratched himself someplace unmentionable before nodding. "Yep, he should be out in the shed, that's where they put him to sleep."_

_Queen Evelyn frowned deeply and walked past the house, into the back yard. She stopped in front of the shed, spotting a discarded wheelbarrow on its side, the shed door slightly ajar.'_

"Why'd the wheelbarrow change back?" Jack piped in.

"Wait an' see," Bobby huffed, exasperated.

_'She leaned in and opened the door, revealing CinderJack, who was huddled on his pile of rags. The gnome hopped out of her pocket and landed on CinderJack._

_"Wake up! Wake up! Look who I found!" he chanted, tugging on CinderJack's fingers._

_CinderJack opened his eyes, peering up at the kind face of the queen. "I...I'm sorry I spied!" he cried, edging away from her. "Please, I meant no harm!"_

_The queen knelt down before him, offering her hand to him, palm up. "Jackie," she said in a voice so soft and warm. "Don't be afraid...there's no more bad things waiting for you. You're safe now."_

_CinderJack took the offered hand after a moment, letting her help lift him out of the shed. She smiled, wiping his face clean of soot and soil with her handkerchief. "There...what a handsome boy you are. Come; let's leave this place."_

_And Jack took her hand, walking past the wheelbarrow. The gnome hopped onto Jack's shoulder. "And me too," he said. He looked to Jack. "Sorry, my magic isn't forever, just temporary."_

_"We'll get you a nice bike to ride," Queen Evelyn assured Jack._

_He smiled, holding tightly to her hand as they left the yard. Jack didn't look back.'_

Jack sniffled, wiping at his eyes. Bobby set the book to the side and hugged him close, wiping the few tears with his thumb. "Not a queen," Jack whispered. "More like an angel."

Bobby smiled slowly and rubbed Jack's back until he calmed. "Damn right."

"Will you read to me tomorrow night?" Jack asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah, only this time I pick the story."

XX


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Bobby & Jack (aka Hansel & Gretel)

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: None really.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.

XX

Jack bounded onto the bed, lost in Bobby's hooded sweatshirt. He pushed the sleeves up a bit and gestured to the book he'd brought with him, "Which one tonight?" he nearly wiggled, eager to hear another of Bobby's stories.

"Under the covers first, kiddo," Bobby sat down beside him, rubbing a weary hand over his face, "Just one story tonight, Jack. I gotta be up early for work."

Jack nodded and pulled the book onto his lap. "One's fine."

Bobby looked over the story listings, "Hm, how about...Hansel and Gretel?"

"Is that one scary?"

"Nah," Bobby draped his arm around Jack and turned to the right page. "Not scary, but kinda fucked up like the rest of the stories."

Jack curled up to him, resting his head to Bobby's chest, reassured by the steady beating of his heart echoing in his ear. "Those Grimm brothers were messed up."

Bobby chuckled. "Ain't that the truth? So this is the story of Hansel and Gretel, only I like to call them Bobby and Jack."

"Hey! I'm not a girl!"

_'A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...'_

"Bobby, that's Star Wars!"

"Hey, for the last time, pipe down already with the interruptions."

_'Ahem...as I was sayin', a long time ago, there was a great forest. And in that forest, there was a real run-down house. The father who lived there did his best to fix it up, but sometimes you just can't fix broken down shit.'_

_'He had a bitchy wife and two kids, their names were Bobby and Jack. They had practically nothing to eat as the lands were bare and the family was very poor. They lived mainly on crusty bread and turnips, a food that neither child could stand the sight of.'_

_'The wife nagged and nagged the husband when even the nasty turnip supply began to run low. She hassled him, demanding that he help her in getting rid of the children. Disturbingly enough, he caved after a few days and agreed that the kids needed to go.'_

"He actually agreed?"

"Uh huh, the spineless fucker he was."

"Bobby..."

"Jackie..."

_'And as it happened, the two children overheard their parents discussing how to be rid of them. Little Jack began to cry, cursing his parents for not loving them enough. _

_"What will we do, Bobby? We can't just hang around, waiting for this to happen!"_

_Bobby looked out the window, thinking fast. "Lie down, Jack," he said, slipping his thin coat on. "I'll think of something."_

_And with that, Bobby crept out of the house. The moon shone down over him, small pebbles all around the house and yard. They gleamed in the moonlight, silver and bright in the darkness. He filled his pockets until they bulged before he made his way back up to the bedroom._

_They slept, huddled together, cause that house was damn cold an' drafty. In the early morning, the wife came in and woke them roughly, demanding that they haul their lazy butts out of bed. She gave them each two small crusts of bread, warning them not to eat it until midday, cause there'd be nothin' else until dinner, a weak broth made from the loathed turnips.'_

"Turnips aren't that bad."

"They're an unholy vegetable. God buried them in the ground so no one would find them."

"Bobby..."

_'The mother and father led the kids into the forest, marching them further in. Bobby tossed pebbles over his shoulder every so often, leaving a trail along the side of the dirt path. They led them deeper and deeper into the forest until they reached the clearing._

_The mother instructed them to sit tight and the father created a small fire for them to sit near for warmth. Time passed slowly that day, and after they had eaten their crusts, Bobby and Jack fell asleep, worn out from the long walk. _

_When they finally woke up, the sun had long since set and the sky over them was dark. Jack bit his lip, tears gleaming in his eyes. "How are we ever gonna get back home?"_

_Bobby took his hand and pointed to the path. "Wait till the moon comes up, it'll show us the way back home."_

_Sure enough, when the moon rose, the stone pebbles shone in the darkness, lighting the way back to the house. They walked all night, and by the morning, they arrived back on the doorstep. Bobby hammered on the door, demanding loudly that the wife had better let them back inside._

_She yelled at them, scolding them for coming home so late, acting as if they hadn't dumped them out there. Bobby pushed past her, herding Little Jack up to their bedroom._

_No more than a few days later, she demanded once again to the father that he must help her take the children out to the forest and leave them further out this time. The father reluctantly agreed, worn down by her constant nagging._

_Bobby fumed in the bed for a few minutes, furious that her harsh words had once again upset Little Jack, who cried bitter tears at their fate. He tried to slip outside to fill his pockets with stones again, but the clever bitch had locked the door, stopping him from escaping outside. He kicked the door, swearing under his breath._

_He reassured Jack that everything would be ok, and that they would get her good for this.'_

"What kind of parent does that?"

"God only knows, Jack. Now be quiet!"

_'In the morning, Bobby and Jack were hustled into the forest, with only small crusts of bread to feed themselves with. Bobby crumbled his piece of bread in his pocket and threw the crumbs to the ground, leaving another trail behind them. The wife led them out to the deepest, darkest part of the forest. The father started another fire for them, and as before, instructed them to stay put while they chopped wood during the day. _

_They ate the meager piece of bread that Jack had held on to, as Bobby's had been used to mark their path. They fell asleep next to the fire and when they awoke, the sun had set and they were once again, left in the darkness. _

_Bobby looked to the path and was shocked to see no evidence of the trail he'd left. "The birds," he whispered. "Those greedy buggers ate it all..."_

_He could feel Jack's growing unease and grasped his hand, leading him down the path, determined to find their way back. They walked for hours until the morning came, and still they were nowhere near the house. Bobby kept Jack distracted with stupid jokes and silly songs as they walked until finally Jack could walk no more. They slept on the ground, exhausted and starving._

_In the morning, Bobby woke Jack and urged him forward. In the distance, he could faintly see a house, one that seemed to shimmer in the low light. They hurried towards it, hoping that the owner would take pity on them. To their shock, the house before them was one made of candy, and gingerbread, sweet spun sugar for windows and gumdrops along the walls. _

_"Holy shit, a house made of a candy!" Bobby yelped.'_

"Bobby, it does not say shit!"

"Do you know what happens to little fairy boys who keep interrupting?"

_'They immediately started nibbling on the house, the soft gingerbread so very sweet. Suddenly, the door made of chocolate opened and out came an old crone, as old as dirt with a busted up face. Bobby stood in front of Jack protectively as she came closer._

_"Oh, you poor things," she crooned. "How hungry you must be if you're gnawing on my house. Do come inside, I have much better things to eat in the kitchen."_

_Bobby looked her over uneasily, but Jack was already scurrying over to her, the mere mention of food enough to make him overlook the weird situation. She brought them both into the house, showing them the spread of food across the kitchen table. It was piled high with pancakes, sliced fruit and fresh milk. Even Bobby couldn't resist the temptation. He and Jack sat down with the old woman, eating everything in sight. _

_After they had eaten as much as their bellies could hold, the woman put them to bed, covering them with warm blankets. She cackled insanely once she was certain that they were deeply asleep. In truth, the old woman was a witch, a demented cruel thing who lured children to her house in hopes of eating them.'_

"Eww! That's so gross!"

"Jack..."

_'In the morning, the witch yanked Bobby from the bed and dragged him by his hair to the stables outside. She tossed him into a cage and locked the door. He screamed at her, tugging on the bars until his hands were raw. She laughed at him and went back to the house, prodding Jack awake. _

_"Out of bed, you wretched fool! Come help me prepare foods for your brother. He needs to be fattened up before I can eat him. He's too stringy and tough right now."_

_Jack tried not to cry as he was forced to help her. Each day he brought the food to Bobby, and cleaned the house for the witch. She would check on Bobby every morning to see if he was getting any plumper. She would demand that he stick his finger out so she could see if that day was the day that she would eat him. _

_Bobby, however, had found a long, thin bone in the cage. He stuck the bone out instead of his finger. The witch, being the half blind moron she was, thought it was his finger and couldn't understand why after several weeks, he remained so very thin. _

_A week later, she huffed with impatience and demanded that Jack fetch more water, for she would eat Bobby the next day regardless of whether or not he was fat enough. Jack bit back tears and did as he was told, his skinny arms shaking under the weight of the water bucket._

_Early in the morning on the next day, the witch had Jack help her prepare the cauldron and oven. She pushed Jack over to the oven with her scrawny arm. "Get in and see if the oven is heated properly," she demanded._

_Jack looked at her, having a horrible flash of what might happen to him if he crawled into the oven. He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know how to check if you don't show me how."_

_"You stupid twit!" she scolded him. "You just crawl in and look, like this." And with that she stuck her head inside the oven._

_Jack lunged forward and shoved her into the oven with one big push. She screamed out as he slammed the iron door shut, trapping her inside the burning oven.'_

"Oh my god..."

"Hey, she deserved it, Jackie. No two ways about it."

_'Jack ran to the stable and unlocked the door, freeing Bobby from the cage. "I did it, oh my god, I did it, Bobby! I killed her, pushed her in the oven!"_

_Bobby high-fived him, laughing as they did so. They went back into the house, grabbing sacks and filling them with all the food they could gather. Bobby stopped, stunned by the sheer amount of coins and jewels that were stuffed in every corner of the house._

_He nodded to Jack. "Grab another bag," and he filled that as full as he could. They made their way back to their home. Bobby kicked the door open with a grunt and set the bags down._

_The father sat on his rocking chair, stunned to see them. Bobby glared at him. "Where's the bitch?"_

_The father fell to his knees, begging for forgiveness. He explained that the wife had died and that he was alone once more. Bobby scowled at him, he was still too pissed that his father had caved to her demands so easily. Jack went over to his side, as he was always more willing to forgive._

_Bobby forgave him eventually and showed him the food and jewels and money that they had brought back, making their lives much more content and happy.'_

Bobby closed the book with a yawn. Jack stared at him, horrified. "That was so wrong!"

"That's the Grimm brothers for ya," Bobby chuckled.

"But...but they abandoned their kids! And the witch wanted to **eat **them!"

"I know," Bobby set the book on the end of the bed, "Like I said, fucked up stories."

Jack shivered, his eyes wide. "Ugh...it's still so horrible."

Bobby hugged him close. "It's just a story, Jackie. Don't stress over it."

Jack clung to him. "Stay here, for a little bit? Until I fall asleep?"

"Mhm," Bobby shifted onto his side, already half asleep. Jack cuddled in close, certain that Bobby would keep him safe in the night.

XX


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Little Merboy

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: None really.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.

xx

Jack knelt in front of the bookshelf, chewing on his lip, his forehead furrowed in deep thought. He pushed past a few books, discarding each one after a moment's pause. "No...No, no more Grimm's for now," he muttered. He found a thinner book towards the back of the pile and yanked that loose, his thumb moving over the spine of the book. He looked back at the bed, holding the book up. "What about this one?"

"That's a girl's book, Jackie," Bobby stretched his arms over his head. "Boys don't read girl stories. Well...maybe fairy boys do..."

"Bobby! Mom said you're not s'posed to call me that anymore," Jack got to his feet, huffing indignantly. "And I want this book. If it's sucha girly one, how come it's in the pile, huh?"

"I'm sure I don't care. Come on then, bring the damn girly book," he patted the spot beside him. "Unless you want someone else to read to you that is."

Jack hopped onto the bed, scrambling up beside Bobby in a flash. "No, no, I want you to read," he assured him.

He held it out for Bobby, settling into place at his side. "What's so girly about mermaids?"

"They, uh, they just are," Bobby opened the cover and cleared his throat. "I'll explain when you're older."

"I wanna know now though."

"So this is the story of the Little Mermaid," Bobby continued, ignoring Jack's pout. "Only...seein' as we're both guys after all, let's make this the story of the Little Merboy."

"Bobby..."

_'Once upon a time, in an underwater kingdom very far away, probably somewhere close to Europe, there was a young merman. Technically he was a merboy, but that's beside the point. His name was Jackie, the youngest of the Queen Mercer's sons, and by far the most curious of them all. While his older brothers were content to do merfolk type stuff, Jackie would spend hours combing the ocean floor, looking for treasures to add to his collection._

_He loved all things human, and was never bothered by the fact that humans ate fish everyday. He circled the ocean floors, digging through ancient sunken ships, oblivious to time or the sharks that followed him sometimes. Not that they ever chased or tried to eat him, no way, no how. The sharks had heard the stories of what would happen to them if they dared go near the youngest of the Queen's sons. Not after what happened the last time the sharks strayed too close to one of Queen Mercer's children.'  
_

"What did happen?"

"The second oldest of her sons gave that shark a beatin' he wasn't about to forget, and then he spread the word for the other sharks."

_'Little Jackie loved his treasures, no matter how plain or boring his brothers said they might be. And he loved going to surface, even though Queen Mercer had forbidden it, not that her rules ever stopped any of her boys before. Jackie would swim and swim, his little green fin cutting through the water as fast as can be. He would creep closer to the shore and perch on a rock, sunbathing and talking to the other sea animals and one very annoying seagull that screeched and shrieked all day long._

_Jackie broke through the surface one day, a strange metallic object in his hand. 'Look!' he exclaimed to the seagull. 'I found it this morning. Whatcha think it does?'_

_The seagull rolled off the rock and hopped down, ruffling her feathers and making small sounds of annoyance. 'How can you not know what that is, you stupid boy. It's a snarfle, isn't it obvious?'  
_  
.'_Jackie held the object up, running his fingers over the tines of what was clearly a fork, not that Jackie knew much about proper human names for objects. 'But Sofi,' he held it out to the preening seagull. 'What does it do?'_

_Sofi, the very annoying seagull, inspected said snarfle. 'They use it to comb their hair, especially the girls, but you oughta try it, that mop of yours will never be untangled if you don't try.'_

_Jackie combed his messy hair as best he could, grinning at the idea of using a snarfle much the way a human would'_

"You really don't like Sofi, do you?"

"Is it that obvious? Stop interrupting."

_'Sofi and Jackie spent the rest of the morning, talking about human things and what it must be like on land. Jackie listened as Sofi ranted about being kicked out of the garden of a home. 'Can you imagine? They threw rocks at me!'_

_'Maybe you shouldn't steal food from their homes,' Jack nodded as she squawked, his attention on the sandy beach before them. 'Do you think life really is better above the water? It can't be so bad.'_

_'You can't stay above the surface, you're part fish,' Sofi sniffed at him._

_Jackie rolled his eyes. 'I know that...but what I wouldn't give...just once to walk on the sand. It looks so pretty and soft, I bet its real warm too.'  
_  
_'Well unless you magically grow some legs, you're stuck in the water,' Sofi sat back down, ruffling her feathers. "Now go away, I need my beauty sleep.'_

_Jackie tucked the snarfle in his girly purse and swam...'  
_  
"Bobby! I don't carry a purse!"

"Oh yeah? What's with that bag you always have with you then?"

"It's...my carry bag. Mom said it wasn't girly."

"Uh huh, yeah she would say that. Be quiet, Jack or no more stories."

_'Ahem...Jackie tucked the snarfle into his not-girly purse and swam away, an idea forming very rapidly in his mind. He swam deep into the ocean, deeper and further along than he'd ever gone before. He shivered as he swam. he couldn't be sure, but the water felt colder that far down._

_He made his way through thick seaweed, getting tangled in it more than a few times. Finally he reached a huge whale skeleton, the bones gleaming a freaky white in the dark water. Jackie swam a little bit closer, and truth be told, he was gettin' real scared._

_'C'mon in there, little merboy,' a creepy voice called out to him, beckoning him forward.  
_  
_Jackie edged closer to the opening of the skeleton. 'Um, hi? I uh, was looking for the uh, Sea Witch?'_

_'That's Sea Wizard to you, little merboy. Sea Witch is only when I dress in drag.'  
_  
_Jackie swallowed nervously, very confused. 'Uh, sorry, Sea Wizard then. I'm sorry to bother you but I wanted...'_

_'Oh, I know what you want, son of Queen Mercer,' the voice slid closer, a huge dark purple, almost black squid thing drifting closer to him. 'That I do know.'_

_Jackie stared up at the creature, his heart pounding. 'Uh, I should go, never mind,' he turned to swim away, vowing to never return, and good God, what was he thinkin', coming here in the first place?_

_'Now now, obviously this is real important,' the Sea Wizard slithered over to him, one tentacle gripping Jackie's arm and drawing him close. 'It's rude to leave so soon after arrivin' little Jackie. No, come here an' tell me what you wanted to say.'  
_  
_Jackie tugged uselessly at his trapped arm, squirming under the feel of the tentacle. 'Oh gross,' he whispered. 'Please, Mr. Sea Wizard, I changed my mind.'_

_'That's Mr. Sweet to you,' the squid thing cooed. 'I know what you want; you want to explore the human world, that right?'  
_

"Who's Mr. Sweet?"

"No one you need to know about."

_'Jackie nodded timidly. 'Y-yes, I do.'_

_Mr. Sweet, aka Sea Wizard, nodded in mock understanding. 'I see, I see, that's very sad that you're forced to stay under the water all day long,' he tsked. 'But what if I could help you, what if I could help you get to run on the sand and play like the other human kids?'_

_Jackie sat up a bit more. 'Can you really do that?'_

_'Of course I can!' Mr. Sweet huffed. 'I'm the Sea Wizard afterall. Here's the thing though, if I make you a human, you gotta give me somethin' in return. No such thing as a free lunch, am I right?'_

_Jackie blinked and stared at him again. 'Um..no?'_

_Mr. Sweet patted his arm with another tentacle. 'Right. So, what're you gonna give me if I make you a human?'_

_Jackie shrugged. 'I don't...I'm no one special. I can't do nothin' special.'_

_'Sure you can,' Mr. Sea Wizard thoughtfully tapped his blobby chin with the tip of a_ _tentacle. 'Ah...I know. You have a real nice voice, don't you? A real good singer or so I heard.'_

_Jackie nodded uneasily. 'Yeah...'_

_'I tell you what; I give you legs in exchange for your voice.'_

_'My voice...but...but that doesn't make sense,' he tugged again at his arm._

_'Well you didn't let me finish,' Mr. Sweet gripped him tightly. 'If I'm gonna give you the ability to walk on the sand, I can't very well have you tellin' people what I'm doing, now can I? Why, if I do it for you, I'll have to do it for everyone.'  
_  
_Jackie nodded slowly. 'I guess so. How long can I stay up there?'_

_'Mm, three days oughta be enough, however...I need you to do somethin' for me while you're visiting. I need you to find a shell for me. Not just any shell, a really special one. Remember, Jackie, this is a very important shell, without it, you'll never be able to come back to the water. You'll have to live with the humans always. But if you find it, you'll be able to come and go as you please, to the land and back to the water whenever you wanna."  
_  
_Jackie nodded after a long moment of thought. He was terribly good at finding things, he figured this would be a breeze. 'Yeah ok, I can do that.'_

_The Sea Wizard described the shell to him and then set about, digging through his chest of potions for just the right one. 'Ah here we go,' he announced, holding the bottle up. 'Fin , last bottle too. It's good that you swam by when you did.'_

_Jackie signed the contract and drank the potion, nearly throwing it back up. 'Ugh, nasty,' he rubbed at his tongue with his palm. 'The hell was in that?'_

_'Nothin' good,' Mr. Sweet laughed. 'Go on now; you have three days to find that shell. And oh, by the way? I suggest you swim real fast to the surface, you're about to become a human.'_

_Jackie looked down at his fin, a horrid pain racing through him. He doubled over, whimpering as the pain worsened. Jackie pushed upwards, panicking at the pain level. With a strangled gasp, Jackie somehow made his way to the surface, kicking and sputtering desperately. He flailed in the water, his new legs kicking feebly about.'_

"Why do all these stories have stuff in them about gettin' hurt?"

"Because elephants have flat feet and authors are crazy people, now be quiet."

_'Jackie dropped down onto the wet sand, the tide helping to push him along. He wheezed, staring up at the bright blue sky. 'I did it,' he thought and began to laugh, gulping in great gusts of air as he stared at the sun overhead. The sun never seemed brighter, the water cool and wet against his legs._

_He lay in the wet sand for a few minutes more, admiring his toes, wriggling them back and forth. Jackie slowly stood up, wobbling and falling over several times. He half crawled, half staggered up the sand until he reached a large rock. He leaned against it, panting silently. Jackie dozed on the rock, exhausted from his efforts._

_A loud shout startled him several hours later. Jackie rolled off the rock reflexively, prepared to dive back into the water for safety when he remembered the events of that afternoon. A large hairy beast came running over to him, drool hanging from his mouth, a long pink tongue hanging from the beast's mouth. Jackie stared at the creature, his eyes wide. He smiled a little and stuck his hand out, tentatively petting the thick fur on the animal._

_'Hey, you damned mutt!' a new voice called out and Jackie nearly panicked again. He touched the fur again, earning a sloppy lick of the animal's tongue on his cheek. Jackie giggled silently and wiped at the drool._

_He watched in amazement as an older boy ran down the beach, a red leash in hand. 'You stupid dog, I swear you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days,' he ranted, jogging over to the rock where Jackie and the dog were perched._

_Jackie clung to the dog, badly frightened. The boy stared back at him, his eyes widening. 'Hey...kid, why're you naked, huh?'  
_  
_Jackie looked down at himself, his face flushing a deep pink. He had forgotten that humans wore clothes on their bodies. Without his fin, his lower half was exposed. He gestured helplessly at the water, struggling to talk. He touched one hand to his neck, remembering too late that he had traded his voice._

_'Were..were you in an accident? Christ, you're lucky you washed up when you did,' the boy shrugged his sweater off and held it out to Jackie. "Here, put this on. It's gonna get a helluva lot colder real soon.'_

_Jackie took the offered sweater and struggled to put it on, unfamiliar with the way the sweater was supposed to fit. The other boy watched him, puzzled by the odd boy before him. "Here...lemme help ya." He showed Jackie how to put the sweater on properly and then chuckled. The fabric came all the down to his lower thighs._

_Jackie grinned and stood up, absurdly proud that he was wearing human clothes. He patted the heavy sweater and gestured to the boy again, leaning over just a bit too far. He tumbled off the rock and landed in an ungraceful heap at the boy's feet.  
_  
_'Where you from, kid?' the boy asked._

_Jackie pointed to the water. The boy stared at him. 'Ok...' he said slowly. 'You can't talk, that it?'_

_He nodded, touching his throat. The boy sighed. 'Alright...ok, I'm Bobby,' he stuck his hand out._

_Jackie stared at his hand blankly, unsure of what he wanted him to do. Bobby took Jackie's hand in his and shook it. 'Yeah, up n' down, like that. That's how you shake hands.'_

_Bobby looked down at the dog. 'Well if Scraps likes you, obviously you're ok.' He clipped the leash on. 'C'mon kid, I'll take you into town, get you some clothes an' food until we find your family.' He held out a hand for Jack. 'Up you go.'_

_Jackie stood up, hobbling at first. He watched Bobby, envious of how easily he moved. He mimicked him, forcing his limbs to try and move the same way. Bobby talked to him as they walked over the sand, and though some of it went right over Jackie's head, he was thrilled regardless.'  
_

"He just walked off with a random stranger like that?"

"Yup, guess he felt like this Bobby was a real safe guy."

"I'm pretty sure that book is talkin' about girls and princes and marrying..."

"Not in my version."

_'Jackie followed him down the sand and up to a big, long road, amazed by the paved ground. Bobby laughed and shook his head, bringing Jackie back with him to his house. They were greeted by a woman with shiny hair and bright eyes. She hurried them both inside.  
_  
_Within a few moments, Jackie had been given clothes to wear and Bobby's mother had placed a large plate of food before him. He stared at everything, touching the plates, the cups and especially, the snarfle that he'd been so intrigued by._

_He ran the snarfle through his hair, his grin slowly fading at the identical bizarre looks on Bobby and his mother's faces. He set the snarfle down, blushing hard. Bobby leaned in and spoke quietly to him. 'Hey, if you need a comb or somethin', I'll get you one. You need a new fork?'_

_Jackie picked up the newly named fork, pondering over why it was called that. He nearly dropped it again when Bobby used his 'fork' to pierce the pieces of food. He copied what_ _they were doing and ate his meal, beaming in delight at the taste of the food. Later that night, as Jack lay in the extra bed, snuggling up in the cozy blankets, he smiled, wriggling his toes. He was sure that it had been worth the pain._

_Over the course of the next day, Jackie went with Bobby to many places in and around his hometown. He played in the bushes, chased after ducks and birds and helped Bobby wash the big dog, Scraps. He wore himself and dropped off to sleep halfway through dinner that night._

_Bobby's mother tried to get more info out of him as to where he was from or who he was, but as Jackie couldn't speak or even write his name, all he could do was shrug helplessly at each question. This worried her greatly though she tried not to show it. Jackie slept curled up around Scraps, dreaming of being deep under the water._

_On the second day, Jackie began to feel some pangs of homesickness. As much as he liked Bobby, and his mother and even the big slobbery dog, he missed his brothers, he missed his mother. He wandered down to the beach and lay on the sand, watching the waves come in. He sighed silently and dipped his fingers in the water. For as much fun as he was having, he kinda wanted to go back home.  
_  
_Jackie sat upright, the Sea Wizard's words echoing in his ears. If he found the shell...he'd be able to come and go as he pleased, and he really wanted that. To be able to choose each day, he'd like that very much. Jackie scrambled along the beach, searching for the shell.  
_  
**'Now listen closely, the shell is black and smooth, cracked on one side. It looks like many of the other shells, but this one seems to glow when you pick it up. Bring that back and you will have the choice.'  
**  
_Jackie scoured the beach, searching and searching some more. He couldn't find it, not one sight, not even a hint as to where it could be. Sad, Jackie returned to Bobby's house, determined to find the shell the next day.'  
_

"You think there really are magical shells like that?"

"Sure, why not? I mean...there's gotta some reason for why things happen."

_'Bobby watched Jackie search the beach, searching almost frantically through the sands. He rubbed a hand over his head, amused. The boy was so very strange. He never spoke a word; it was almost as if he couldn't. The panicked way that the boy was searching, now that was odd too. He frowned and headed over to the boy, wanting to help him whatever way he could._

_'Whatcha lookin' for?' he asked. _

_Jackie pointed at the water, gesturing hurriedly. The sun was starting to set. Bobby looked out at the setting sun and then back at Jackie. 'What? The sun's settin', I know that.'_

_Jackie made a sound like a groan and resumed digging through the sand._

_Bobby knelt down, watching as the gentle waves rolled in. He sighed. 'Hey kid...c'mon, let's head back to the house, I'm hungry.'_

_More digging was Jackie's response. He sat down abruptly, tears collecting in his eyes. He rubbed his throat with his sand covered fingers, sniffling. Bobby sat next to him, putting an arm around his little waist. 'Hey...it's ok, don't cry, kiddo, I'll help you search, I promise.'_

_Jackie rested against him, his tears trickling down. He wanted so badly to stay and to go back home. He wanted the choice, the ability to do both. He closed his eyes, wishing harder than he'd ever wished before._

_Bobby ran one hand through the sand, his fingers catching on odd shaped rock. He looked down and lifted the object up. To his surprise, it wasn't a rock at all. It was a weird looking shell, a black one that glowed when he touched it. He ran his thumb over the jagged crack on one side. 'Kiddo, look at this one...it'd be perfect for skippin' over the water.'_

_Jackie looked up, his eyes widening. He lunged up, snatching the rock from Bobby's hand. He jumped up, clasping it tightly as the waves began rolling in faster and faster onto the sandy beach. Bobby chuckled, watching him. 'Uh...so that's what you wanted?'_

_Jackie nodded rapidly and pointed to the water, trembling with excitement. To Bobby's shock, the water was parting, a lump of...something rising from it. 'Holy shit!' he whispered.'  
_

"Bobby! It does not say shit! There's no swear words in these stories."

"Sure there is, this is just the watered down version."

_'The lump took shape, a huge purple-black creature that loomed over them. 'I'll be goddamned,' the thing laughed. 'You went an' found my rock.'_

_Jackie nodded and held it out for him. The thing came closer, its tentacles waving happily. Bobby shuddered as one of the waving appendages slapped the water near them. Jackie waded out into the water, holding it out to him._

_'Kid...damn it, that is so fucking weird,' Bobby rushed after him and grabbed his_ _shoulders. Jackie struggled in his grasp.  
_  
_'Ugh, you humans, so feisty,' the blubbery thing rolled his dark eyes. 'Relax, he's giving me my shell, I lost it years ago.' He leaned down and held out one tentacle. 'Thanks, Little Jackie. Now, a deal's a deal, am I right? Hold still now.'_

_He plucked the shell from Jackie's hand and waved a tentacle over him. 'Hocus Pocus,' he snickered._

_Jackie wobbled and fell backwards, landing beside Bobby in the water. 'Did it...I can do both?' he croaked, his throat rusty after not using it for three days. Bobby nearly fell over, his mouth open in stunned surprise.  
_  
_'What, you can talk now?'_

_The blob thing laughed and laughed. 'Oh man, you are too damn amusing, the pair o' you. Yeah, you can do both. Go on, go swim home an' reassure your mama that you're alive. She's had half the damn kingdom searchin' for ya.'_

_Bobby blinked. 'What?' he echoed again. 'Kingdom?'_

_Jackie wriggled his toes, watching as they slowly faded away, merging into his green fin. He looked up at Bobby. 'Um, I can explain?' he offered._

_From that day on, Jackie spent his time with both Bobby and his mother, and time with his family under the water, exploring both lands to his heart's content.'  
_

"Wait, Bobby, there's more pages...why's that squid thing got a harpoon in the belly?"

"Never mind," Bobby closed the book and put it off to the side. "That ending isn't the right ending."

"Does the girl mermaid live happily ever after?" Jack yawned, rubbing at his eyes.

"Sure," Bobby said, smiling a bittersweet smile. "Don't they always in the stories?"

xx


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Sleeping Jackie

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: None really.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Bobby's fairytales are more interesting.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, no harm intended.

XX

Jack stretched out on his bed, yawning until his jaw cracked. "No more Grimm's, Bobby," he protested sleepily.

"C'mon, don't be sucha girly boy," Bobby hefted the book up from the shelf and carried it back to the bed. "I thought you said you liked readin', huh?"

"I...well, I do, it's just, and these fairytales are so weird. An' I think you aren't bein' honest with the stories."

Bobby sat down on the bed. "Nah, I'm jus' readin' it how it should have been."

"Oh.." Jack shifted onto his side, yawning again.

"Y' know, kinda like watching movies on the television," Bobby explained as he got comfortable on the bed. "They bleep out the swearin' and cut out sex stuff and scenes with lotsa blood."

Jack nodded quickly, his eyes wide and trusting. "Ohh...ok, sorry, Bobby."

"Don't worry about it, you're still learnin'," he opened the book and flipped the pages to the table of contents. "Hmm, let's see...How about 'Sleeping Beauty'?"

Jack wrinkled his nose. "Aw man, more princesses?"

"Yeah, they're all like that," Bobby said with a chuckle. "But, this is me readin', so now it's 'Sleeping Jackie'."

"Bobby..."

_'There once was a King and Queen who ruled over the lands of Motor City, long, long ago. King William was a good King, the kind you wanted ruling your homeland. He was fair but not too easygoing, cause bein' too soft is never a good thing. Queen Evelyn ruled with him, and in truth, was much more effective at governing the lands then King William was._

_Queen Evelyn spent many years trying to have a baby. She saw doctors and midwives and even went to the church, pleading for help. She needed a child to secure the kingdom, an heir to pass the lands onto. Years passed without any results. She prayed feverishly one night, willing to do anything, so long as it meant that she would have her child._

_As luck would have it, one of the magical fairies overheard her prayers and dropped a little 'extra' somethin' into the king's goblet one night and sure as shit, she got pregnant that very night. The kingdom rejoiced in the birth of the prince, finally, an heir to the throne._

_Prince Jackie was welcomed with a royal feast and his christening. The King and Queen invited hundreds of people to help them celebrate. Among the guests were three fairies, one of which was responsible for helping knock the Queen up. They lined up towards the end of the feast, ready to bestow wishes and gifts upon the infant.'  
_

"What kinda gifts do fairies give?"

"The ability to stay quiet for more than five minutes at a time."

_'Each fairy moved along, sparkles trailing behind them. The first one, one dressed in all blue raised her wand and waved it over Prince Jackie's cradle. 'I give you the gift of musical talent,' she said, a puff of silvery-blue sparkles dusting the air._

_The crowd clapped and cheered. The second fairy, one clad in green followed suite, waving her wand in a figure eight, 'I give you the gift of patience and kindness.' Green sparkles fizzed about, delighting the baby._

_A red fairy flew up, adjusted her hat and waved her wand over the baby. 'I give you the gift...' she started to say when a huge crack of thunder split the crowd. A dark puff of smoke appeared, the smoke dissolving and revealing one ugly broad._

_She dusted the smoke away from herself and sneered at the rest of the party-goers. 'Well, looks like someone forgot to invite me,' she shouted, 'Me, Sofi, queen of the fairies?! How dare you? How dare you ignore me?'_

_She stomped over to the cradle and stared hatefully down at the Prince Jackie. 'Pfft, far too much hair,' she sniffed. 'And you!' She pointed to the king and queen, her bony finger inches from their faces. 'Because of your actions, I curse Prince Jackie. Before the sun sets on his sixteenth birthday, he will prick his finger on a guitar pick and die!'_

_The crowd gasped in horror. What a bitch, they whispered to each other.'  
_

"Bobby..."

"Jackie..."

_Sofi laughed manically and disappeared in another puff of smoke. The red fairy approached the cradle, shaken by the curse. Queen Evelyn looked to her, small tears beginning to fall. 'Please...can't you do something? My precious baby, I can't lose him.'_

_'I can't remove the curse, but I can weaken it,' she whispered. She waved her wand over the baby, calming his fussing. 'Instead of death, if he should prick his finger, he will fall into a deep sleep until he is awakened by a knight brave and true.'_

_The Queen and King held each other close. It wasn't much, but it was better then death._

_The King demanded that all guitar picks and guitars be destroyed the very next day. There was a great bonfire in the courtyard and they even passed out free marshmallows to make sure people would come. Though he did this, Queen Evelyn was not reassured._

_Over the years, Prince Jackie grew into a messy haired, kind hearted boy. He was much loved by all in the kingdom. He had a way with animals, and loved to sing. As he grew, he got taller an' taller. He stood nearly six inches higher than Queen Evelyn. He fidgeted a lot and got into all kinds of mischief._

_On the morning of Prince Jackie's sixteenth birthday, he found himself overwhelmed by the rush of preparations around the castle. Maids and servants bustled past him, banners and balloons and colorful streamers hanging from their arms._

_He sneaked past them and headed up the stairs. He took different turns, following dark narrow stairs until he reached a room he'd never seen before. He pushed the door open and gasped at the sight before him._

_Lying on the floor, bathed in sunshine, was a wooden guitar.'  
_

"Why would someone leave a guitar on the floor?"

"Because otherwise this would be a boring story."

"Oh..."

_'Prince Jackie gaped at the guitar, his eyes wide. He couldn't believe someone would leave somethin' so interesting right there on the floor. He padded over to the wooden shape, prodding at it. He'd never seen anything like it. He knelt beside the object and ran one hand over it, amazed._

_He lifted the guitar up and grinned to see the piece of paper that was tied to the neck of the instrument.  
_  
_**Happy Birthday Prince Jackie **__was written across the paper.__**  
**_  
_'Wicked!' Jackie exclaimed. He ran his fingers over the strings and plucked at them, laughing at the twangy sounds it made, 'Too fuckin' cool.'_

_Jackie sat back, strumming and playing with the guitar until his fingers started to hurt a little. He looked down at the tag and noticed a pick attached to it. He picked it up; unsure of what he was holding. Jackie turned the smooth shape over, examining it closely._

_He slipped the pick between his fore finger and his thumb and dragged it over the strings, pleased by the racket he was making. He did so again and hissed loudly, the edge of the pick digging into his sore fingers. The edge pushed up hard, digging into his skin. Jackie winced and dropped the pick, droplets of blood falling from his fingers._

_Jackie stared at his fingers in disbelief and as he swayed dizzily and crumpled to the floor, he could have sworn he heard shrill screams of laughter in the distance.'  
_

"Does that mean he's d-dead?"

"He will be if you don't stop interupptin' me."

_'No more than a few minutes later, one of the maids found Prince Jackie crumpled up on the floor and shrieked, ringing the alarm. Through the hysteria that followed, no one could believe that despite their precautions, their beloved Prince had fallen victim to one nasty ass fairy._

_Jackie lay in a deep sleep in his bed, surrounded by Queen Evelyn and King William. The villagers and workers mourned for the young boy until a peculiar sleepiness seemed to wash over the kingdom. The people dropped down to the grounds and fell asleep, victims to Sofi's evil plan. Although the red fairy had been able to weaken the curse on Jackie, he and the rest of the kingdom would sleep forever unless a knight could break the spell._

_Thick, twisting vines grew along the outskirts of the village and kingdom, heavy bushes and branches, spiked and viciously sharp. They rose up high, more than six feet from the ground. It was a groundskeeper's worst nightmare.  
_  
_For years and years, many brave knights attempted to cross the thorny vines, determined to be the hero of this story. They tried time and time again, each failing more pathetically than the last. Prince Jackie slept on, undisturbed by the shouts of frustration from each knight.'  
_

"Why would a knight wanna rescue him? Does that mean they'd hafta get married?"

"You are way too fuckin' young to be thinkin' about that, Jack. Now shut up, huh?"

_'Over a hundred years passed before one knight rode by on his trusty steed. He looked up at the castle in the distance, having heard of the rumors and legends that the castle was haunted, that a terrible spell had been woven over the lands and that an enchantment over the young Prince continued still._

_He smirked to himself and rested one hand on his sword. He could certainly do better than those other knights, for he was none other than Prince Robert, son of King Mercer, but known simply as Bobby to those who mattered. He was the fastest with a sword in all the lands, and no one but the truly stupid bothered to mess with him. Or else._

_Bobby eyed the path of thick bristly bushes and curled his upper lip. He'd heard stories of the evil fairy Sofi as well. 'Looks like her handiwork,' he snorted and pressed his horse onward, up to the front of bushes near the opening road to the castle grounds._

_The bushes trembled and swayed with the wind. Prince Bobby unsheathed his sword and held it above his head, glaring at the bushes. 'Back down or I shall cut you clean with my sword, fuckers.'_

_And to his mild surprise, the bushes did part, allowing him past. He rode forward, wary and alert. You couldn't ever be too careful in the middle of enchanted lands. Bobby stilled his horse when a sudden shriek echoed overhead. He gripped his sword tightly, tensing as the shriek echoed again.  
_  
_'That nosy bitch,' Bobby grumbled to himself. A large cloud appeared, taking shape. Just as he'd feared, it was Sofi, her eyes flashing; sharp talon nails extended and ready to dig into him._

_'You....You dare to try and break the spell?' she hissed, swooping down over him. She let out a blood curdling scream and swiped at him._

_Bobby drew his arm back, his sword gleaming in the sun. 'Back off, you crazy bitch! Or I'm gonna stick this down your throat!'_

_She laughed and flew up, dodging the blade. She clawed at him, nails scraping over his helmet. And that really pissed him off right then. Bobby lunged up, throwing his sword_ _with amazing accuracy and the blade pierced the evil fairy's body._

_Sofi fell to the ground with a squawk of fury, dying as she landed on the fetching cobblestone path below her. Bobby leaned down and yanked his sword out of her chest. 'Nasty,' he muttered, wiping the green blood off his sword_.'

"Ew, green blood? Fairies bleed green?"

"Sure they do. Evil ones like her do, at least."i

_'Prince Bobby made his way into the castle, though he left his horse by the front doors, just in case. He picked his way past the people who lay on the floors and stairs, snoring peacefully. He stared at the people, bewildered. 'Who the hell sleeps on stone floors?' he exclaimed, shaking his head, 'Freaks.'_

_He climbed and climbed up the stairs, going higher and higher into the tallest tower. 'Maybe I should stop smoking,' he huffed as he climbed another flight of stairs, his face flushed._

_He reached the top flight of stairs finally and panted, out of breath. He could see dim light under a door not more than a few feet away. Bobby approached the door and pushed on it, the hinges creaking loudly. He blinked, stunned by the sight before him. Indeed it seemed the rumors and legends were true._

_Bobby tugged his helmet off and stepped up to the bed, watching the sleeping Prince Jackie. He leaned in and poked Jackie in the shoulder with two fingers. 'Hey...psst, hey kid,' he whispered. 'Wake up, man.'_

_Prince Jackie, who was as young as he had been the day his fingers had been pricked by the tainted guitar pick, did not twitch or groan or bitch to get five more minutes of sleep. He breathed quietly, his chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths._

_Bobby frowned. How in the hell was he going to wake the kid up? He set his helmet by the foot of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest, thinking fast. 'True loves' first kiss, this ain't,' he thought. He sat down beside the Prince on the bed and touched his hand to one of Jackie's._

_He curled his fingers with Jackie's unresisting ones and squeezed a little. 'I bet you're the curious type, I bet you got into all kinds of mischief an' shit before that fairy did her stuff. But you know, if you wake up, I can show you lots of things, all the best kinds of stuff to do, an' people to bug. I even know a place where mermaids swim and those girls are kinda wild, if you know what I mean. So if you wake up an' stop sleepin' like a fairy-boy, you can get started on all that.'_

"Bobby! I'm gonna tell Ma that you keep callin' me that."

"I didn't say you were a fairy, just Jackie in the story. An' if you squeal, there's gonna be no more stories."

"Um...Never mind."

_'Prince Jackie's eyes fluttered in a totally girly way and he stared up at the older boy beside him. He licked his lips and squinted, yawning. 'Who're you?' he asked, his voice croaky with sleep._

_'I'm the guy that woke you up, an' got rid of the evil firefly from hell. Prince Robert's the name, but don't you be callin' me that or I'll smite your ass. Bobby's just fine.'_

_Jackie grinned and sat up, stretching. All around them, throughout the castle, the spell had been broken and the people began to wake up. 'Thanks, Bobby,' he said, offering his hand to him. 'Prince Jackie. Now where are those mermaids you mentioned?'_

_And from that moment on, both boys were inseparable, creating chaos and hijinks as they went, happily fuckin' after. The end.'  
_

Jack smothered a giggle and pushed at Bobby's side. "You swear too much."

"No, I fuckin' don't," Bobby nudged him back. "Off to your beauty sleep, Princess."

"Bobby!"

XX


End file.
